VanStory Hills Elementary students making 'cool' explorations in school's new science lab

Venita Jenkins Staff writer

Tuesday

Apr 30, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 30, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Madeline Butler helped her lab partner create a model of a plant cell using a paper plate, green gelatin and candy.

Madeline, a fifth-grader at VanStory Hills Elementary School, was excited about her first experiment in the school's new science lab.

"It's kind of cool, because we get to do experiments,"Madeline said. "It's a great experience for children my age to do experiments."

Her classmate, Alex Ingram, shared her enthusiasm.

"Science is my favorite thing," he said. "We can come here and do science as long as we want - if our teacher lets us."

The school received a $4,500 grant from the Stephen Shane Fincher Memorial Foundation to convert a classroom into a science lab. The foundation provides scholarships to students pursuing a degree from North Carolina State University's School of Engineering. The foundation also awards grants to projects that promote science and mathematics.

The lab opened in March.

VanStory Hills Principal Jimmy Mask said the project came about after mentioning the need for a science lab at a Parent Teacher Association meeting.

Parents were excited about the idea. Mask was later contacted by Jennifer Fincher, a parent and a member of the board of directors for the Stephen Shane Fincher Memorial Foundation.

"All I had to do was throw the idea out there at a PTA meeting, and they supported it," Mask said. "The science lab was as important to our community and parents as it was to us."

The school would not have been able to do the project if it had not been for the support of the foundation, he added.

Not only will students have the opportunity to conduct experiments, officials plan to invite guest lecturers to speak to students in the lab.

"The lab will support all grade levels," he said. "I think the biggest asset for the boys and girls is that it will be a place designated for science."

Stephanie Hrabovsky, a fifth-grade teacher, said the lab provides teachers an opportunity to do inquiry-based learning with the students.

"It's a wonderful place for them to do more and better science exploration," she said. "It's all about inquiry-based learning - getting students to explore their learning rather than us standing in front of the classroom teaching it."

The foundation has been looking at ways to bring its efforts to Cumberland County, said Jennifer Fincher, who was Stephen Fincher's sister-in-law. Stephen Fincher, 33, died unexpectedly on Dec. 11, 2008, in his Raleigh home. He was the president of Premier Building Co. He was a graduate of Fayetteville Academy and furthered his education at N.C. State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering.

"We wanted to do something here where we could see some tangible benefits," she said. "We are in the process of writing up a grant program where school administrators and teachers can apply things like science labs."

The lab may spark a love for science, she added.

"I think it will help our children learn better and learn more," she said. "I think it will make a difference. We hope this will expand and grow."

Staff writer Venita Jenkins can be reached at jenkinsv@fayobserver.com or 486-3511.

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